diff --git a/frontend/app/[locale]/layout.tsx b/frontend/app/[locale]/layout.tsx
index e7a496fd..ddf43e1f 100644
--- a/frontend/app/[locale]/layout.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/[locale]/layout.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ export default async function LocaleLayout({
     title: string;
   }> = [];
 
+
   const enableAdmin =
     (
       process.env.ENABLE_ADMIN_API ??
diff --git a/frontend/db/index.ts b/frontend/db/index.ts
index 8648dd00..cb9b681e 100644
--- a/frontend/db/index.ts
+++ b/frontend/db/index.ts
@@ -12,14 +12,29 @@ dotenv.config();
 type AppDatabase = PgDatabase<PgQueryResultHKT, typeof schema>;
 
 const APP_ENV = process.env.APP_ENV?.trim().toLowerCase();
+
+if (!APP_ENV) {
+  throw new Error(
+    '[db] APP_ENV is required. Set APP_ENV=local in .env for development, or APP_ENV=develop/production for deployment'
+  );
+}
+
 const IS_LOCAL_ENV = APP_ENV === 'local';
+
+if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
+  console.log('[db] runtime env check', {
+    has_DATABASE_URL: Boolean(process.env.DATABASE_URL?.trim()),
+    has_DATABASE_URL_LOCAL: Boolean(process.env.DATABASE_URL_LOCAL?.trim()),
+  });
+}
+
 const STRICT_LOCAL_DB_GUARD = process.env.SHOP_STRICT_LOCAL_DB === '1';
 const REQUIRED_LOCAL_DB_URL = process.env.SHOP_REQUIRED_DATABASE_URL_LOCAL;
 
 if (STRICT_LOCAL_DB_GUARD) {
   if (!IS_LOCAL_ENV) {
     throw new Error(
-      `[db] SHOP_STRICT_LOCAL_DB=1 requires APP_ENV=local (got "${APP_ENV ?? 'undefined'}")`
+      `[db] SHOP_STRICT_LOCAL_DB=1 requires APP_ENV=local (got "${APP_ENV}")`
     );
   }
 
@@ -68,7 +83,7 @@ if (IS_LOCAL_ENV) {
 
   if (!url) {
     throw new Error(
-      `[db] APP_ENV=${APP_ENV ?? 'undefined'} requires DATABASE_URL to be set`
+      `[db] APP_ENV=${APP_ENV} requires DATABASE_URL to be set`
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/frontend/db/queries/categories/admin-categories.ts b/frontend/db/queries/categories/admin-categories.ts
index 97a59934..2e92e358 100644
--- a/frontend/db/queries/categories/admin-categories.ts
+++ b/frontend/db/queries/categories/admin-categories.ts
@@ -20,13 +20,17 @@ export async function getAdminCategoryList(): Promise<AdminCategoryItem[]> {
       title: categoryTranslations.title,
     })
     .from(categories)
-    .innerJoin(
+    .leftJoin(
       categoryTranslations,
       sql`${categoryTranslations.categoryId} = ${categories.id} AND ${categoryTranslations.locale} = ${ADMIN_LOCALE}`
     )
     .orderBy(categories.displayOrder);
 
-  return rows;
+  return rows.map(row => ({
+    id: row.id,
+    slug: row.slug,
+    title: row.title ?? row.slug,
+  }));
 }
 
 export async function getMaxQuizDisplayOrder(